The present invention rotates to an interchangeable handle for use with a variety of utility tools, and in particular to an interchangeable handle which locks utility tools against inadvertent movement.
Prior art interchangeable handles commonly used a handle with a sleeve having a thread female aperture, and a utility tool with a male arm which screw threads into the female aperture. Generally, a locknut is threaded on the male arm where after the male arm is screw threaded into the female aperture the locknut is tightened against the sleeve to prevent the utility tool from coming loose.
It has been realized that having one interchangeable handle for use with several utility tools provide an organized and manageable system for storing many utility tool heads and a single handle in a small area. Whereas conventional tools with individual handles for each tool occupy a lot of space. The obvious solution is an interchangeable handle, however the prior art handles lack a positive means to prevent the utility tool from rotating on the handle. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,229,843, 1,530,225 and 3,619,009 show utility handles which are screw threaded onto a handle, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,009 also shows a locknut to secure the handle to the utility tool. The problem is that the devices shown in the prior patents become loose after a few uses of the utility tool and handle. The screw threaded connection loosens and becomes unstable for continued use without retightening the connection.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the prior art by providing an interchangeable handle and utility tool system which positively locks the handle and tool together to prevent the tool from rotating about the handle.